Advice from an Old Friend
by dream.love.live
Summary: When back on Earth, Jennifer takes some time to hear some good advice from an old friend. Tag to Brain Storm. Ronon/Keller pre-ship mentionned. Now a multi-chapter fic, updated weekly. :)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N This is my very first Stargate story, so I hope I got all the details right. I am currently in the search for a BETA reader so if there's anyone out there interested let me know!**

**This story is Ronon/Keller cause I am currently obsessed with those two. Don't know if I should continue and write about the arrival back on Atlantis. Let me know what you guys think :)**

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It took her a moment to adjust her eyesight to the all too familiar Stargate Command center. The blandness always seemed to bore her and she wondered how people could work here every day of the year without going completely nuts, if not for the multiple balconies Atlantis had to offer she surely would have gone crazy. If it was up to her she would remain in the Pegasus Galaxy and completely avoid the three week Deadalus ride back to Earth, but alas she was a doctor and her Board Certification was starting to be well overdue; hence her recent trip to Stargate Command. After the disastrous first date with Rodney and all of those physicist a few days ago, she was starting to get anxious to get back home to Atlantis and finally sleep in her comfortable warm bed. Sure it had given her an opportunity to see her father and that was worth the trip, but it had also made her realize something very important: she just might have made the wrong choice.

"Welcome back to Stargate Command Dr. Keller." greeted an all too familiar voice, dragging her out of her pondering. A few seconds passed by as she stared at the ex-leader of the Atlantis expedition.

"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously. "I mean, Colonel Carter. Nice to see you again, I didn't know you were Commander of the SGC. I mean obviously you would have a job after leaving Atlantis, since you are very competent and all, I just didn't think it would be it. Not that you're not qualified... And I'm rambling..." she ended slightly flushed.

"It's good to see you to Jennifer, and your previous assumption was correct: I am not in charge of the SGC. I'm simply standing in for General Landry while he's in Washington." she answered before moving in to give the young doctor a quick welcome hug. "But there will be time to talk about everything once you come back, there's a car outside waiting to take you to your examination."

"Thank you Sam, make time for me when I come back!" she answered before being rushed out by airmen escorting her to the car.

Hours later, when her certification was finally finished and she was back at the SGC, Jennifer let out a sigh of contentment as she ate for the first time since she left the Deadalus that same morning. After some small talk with the Colonel they had sat down to grab a bite before the doctor was called back onboard to head back to Atlantis.

"So you're with Rodney now?" Sam casually mentioned before taking a bite. As she heard the sentence Jennifer started choking on her own food, it took a few seconds and multiple apologies from the blonde before she could regain her composure.

"Sorry, guess you caught me by surprise. I was definitely not expecting that kind of question, you know since your default is usually work." she added a little teasingly, not wanting the Colonel to feel bad for asking.

"I should be the one to apologize!" she added still laughing at the other woman's reaction. "My husband keeps telling me that I'm too tense and should take things a little easier and stop talking about work all the, that and I am quite curious myself if I may add."

A moment passed until Jennifer realized the implication of what Sam had just said, and berates herself for not noticing the obvious rings on her left hand. How could she possibly not have noticed it?

"You're married?! How? When? I though you said there was this thing with a man in Washington and that it was complicated?" She exclaimed unable to contain her shock.

The other woman couldn't help the hearty laugh that came out before answering. "It _**was **_complicated, we were just married and I was shipped away to Atlantis while he had to stay in Washington. " she ended with a dreamy smile.

For the first time since she'd arrived on Earth Jennifer took a second to examine her ex-commander and finally noticed how radiant she looked. _Well I don't think I've ever since her smile this much, or laugh for that matter!_ she thought.

"So you've been married for what three-four years? Wow, did not see that coming... I mean congratulations! You look very happy." she added reaching across the table to give the older woman a small hand squeeze.

"Thank you, it was a very small wedding with mostly SGC personnel and some other close friends. Although I was initially sad to leave Atlantis I figured it was for the best, and I am glad to be able to be home you know... But enough about me, tell me about you and Rodney!"

"Ah... thought we could skip this subject. Wait." she stopped talking a second to think about something. "How did you even know about Rodney and I, we weren't together when you left and I'm pretty sure it hasn't come up in any data burst."

"I have a very reliable source keeping me up to date." she replied enigmatically with a grin, not really answering Keller's question. "Although, I have to admit at first I thought he was pulling my leg; would have never imagined you with someone like Rodney. It's only when I learned about what happened with the other scientists at that secret facility."

"Why not? I mean everyone else seemed to expect it, didn't come as much as a surprise there. You know how it goes; two geniuses getting together isn't really big news: it's the norm. I mean sure he can be super arrogant most of the time, never likes to admit he's wrong, always puts the blame on others, and is quite the hypochondriac; but he's still a nice guy!"

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself?" came the response from the blonde sitting in front of her. Jen was slightly taken aback by the comment not expecting the other woman to notice what was wrong with what she was saying.

"No really, it's going good. I mean we've had our first date a few days ago, and we've spent most of our vacation together before heading back home and during our visit with my father he managed to insult him only a handful of times. He's back on the Deadalus right now actually, because really why would he accompany me to one of the most stressful thing in my life. Not like it matters or anything... " she started, quickly noticing that it still sounded as if she was trying to convince herself. "Anyhow, it was the right choice; the safe choice. It's going to take some adjusting and getting used to but we can make it work, I mean obviously with time things will probably (hopefully) change. Anyways, I'm sure you of all people can understand, your husband is probably some super smart scientist working for the Pentagon or something."

"Well you are not entirely wrong." Sam answered taking in what the other woman had just said and noticing the look of satisfaction cross the young doctor's face. "Oh wipe that grin of your face Keller, I said not **entirely **wrong." she responded amused. "The only thing you got right in that whole statement of yours is that he works at the Pentagon."

"You mean he's not-"

"A super smart scientist? No, not at all." she finished the question with a small laugh. "Actually, he's pretty much the complete opposite of me and, by definition, who people expected me to end up with. He's brash, almost always jumps in a situation without a concrete plan and having thoroughly thought thinks through. He loves humor, uses it a little too much even in situation he shouldn't. He has this uncanny ability to piss people off because of it or because of his lack of finesse, usually the bad guys or the last person he should insult. As I mentioned, he's not super smart, though quite smarter than he lets on, doesn't have any PHD's. Most of the time he doesn't understand a word I'm saying and I have to explain it in easier words." She stopped to catch a breath and glimpse at the confused doctor sitting in front of her before continuing: "Not a scientist, as you've probably guesses, he's military actually. And before you say anything it's not the same as me at all: he's ex-black ops; completely out of my league. Loves hockey, football and The Simpsons a tad too much for anyone's liking. Lastly loves red jell-o when blue is clearly the better flavor."

The doctor sat still completely baffled by the astrophysicist's confession. "I-I did not expect that."

"I figured as much. But you know, all of that doesn't matter in the end. So what if we have a lot of differences, the most important things is what we have in common: I love him and he loves me. In the end that's really all that matters, you can't hope the other person will change and suddenly fit in with you. A relationship is not about changing the other person, it's about accepting them, flaws and all." she added with a content smile.

"But what about the judgment? I mean don't people look at you with that look in their eyes?" She asked genuinely curious as to how their relationship works.

"Oh we have loads of that, it's actually one of the reason why it took us so long to get together; I was scared. He personally didn't really care about what others thought and their opinion, but I couldn't let it go and it took me a while to get over it. Eventually I realized that the biggest judgment came from me, most people were happy for us and those who weren't well... in the words of my husband: They can go screw themselves!" She ended with a laugh at the memory of that particular conversation with her significant half.

"Wow." Answered the, slightly, speechless doctor. "I mean, I guess I never thought about it that way. I picked Rodney because he seemed like the safe and expected choice at the time..."

"Picked?"

Oh crap.

"Did I say pick? I didn't mean pick. It's not like there was another man that I was interested in. I meant to say chose, no that sounds just as bad. I meant ended up with. Yup, I ended up with Rodney..." She rambled off.

"Jennifer stop. I know exactly what you meant. So now, tell me about this other hypothetical man. He wouldn't happen to be same guy you had a _moment_ with?" She asked, although Jennifer had a feeling that she already knew the answer.

"There's nothing to say really. Maybe at first it wasn't nothing, I might have been kind of interested and I might have thought for a moment that he was too but that was it. Either way he's not interested anymore and of that I am sure." she answered with a sadness in her voice.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, hypothetically speaking of course, I might have told him I was interested in someone else because I figured we didn't fit together and Rodney was the better and safer option. He kind of told me he wasn't interested anyways and now he's seeing someone else; someone much more suited for him then I would have ever been."

"If he was really interested as you seemed to think, and from what I've gathered he was, he still is very much interested in you. It took my husband and I eight years before we admitted our feeling for each other. The feelings were always there, pretty much since the first time we met, but we tried to move past them for many different reasons. We go into different relationships, heck I even got engaged at one point; but in the end we found our way back to each other and everything that had happened in the past didn't matter anymore."

A long silence ensued as Jennifer mulled the words over and Sam finished her blue Jell-O. The young doctor suddenly found herself second guessing her decision, not for the first if she was truly honest. Those doubts had plagued her mind more often than it should've, but she always found an excuse to dismiss them and keep moving forward. But now...

"Doctor Keller to the briefing room, Doctor Keller to the briefing room. The Deadalus is ready to depart."

"Guess it's time for you to head back home." Sam answered eating the last bite of her Jell-O.

The walk back to the briefing room was silent, Jennifer pondering the words that Sam had told her and the latter giving her the space she needed.

"Colonel, the Deadalus is ready for Doctor Keller and Doctor McKay is getting quite impatient and keeps saying we need to hurry up since he has better things to do. I suggest you hurry things up before someone makes him shut up." Finished Walter with a smile suggesting he was the one that would shut him up if this continued.

"Thank you Walter, you can tell them Doctor Keller is ready to go." She said before turning back to Jennifer. "Well you have a three week trek back home, I think you should take this opportunity to have a discussion with Rodney. Oh and speaking of him, please don't tell him I'm married: someone already shot-gunned that honor." She finished before giving a quick goodbye hug to the small doctor.

"Someone shot-gunned? I presume you mean your source... Wait, I never did ask who it was; I never asked who your husband is!" She exclaimed.

"Well you see-"

"Colonel O'Neill, Homeworld Security on the first line for you. Doctor Keller be ready to be beamed up." came Walter's voice.

"W-Wait?! O'Neill as in General Jack O'Neill? Sam-!" The sentence staying unfinished as the young CMO was beamed back up the ship.

Sam gave her a small wave before turning back to her temporary office to answer the phone.

_Guess now she knows...I should probably write an e-mail to Evan to let him know what happened here. _She pondered as she sat down and answered: "Colonel O'Neill."

"God I love hearing that." Came the teasing answer from the other side of the line.

She took in her surrounding as she was beamed back up the Deadalus and was a little disappointed, yet not really surprised, to notice that the great Doctor McKay had not deemed her arrival worthy enough of his presence. She couldn't help the sigh that escaped her lips as she made her way back to wherever the scientist could be, not before tripping and falling flat on her face in front of the airmen on guard. She looked at the object that was the cause for her embarrassment and noticed for the first time a small cardboard box with the name _Evan Lorne_ and the SGC tag on it that must have been beamed up at the same time as her.

"What the-?" she mused out loud as she got back up with the help of the on duty airmen.

"Sorry Doctor Keller, you okay?"

"Yes, of course. Guess I just didn't notice the box."

"It was the last items that Major Lorne had left at the SGC, we were asked by Colonel O'Neill to bring them back to him on our way back to Atlantis."

She quickly bent down to pick the small box and assured the airmen that she would get the box to Major Lorne as soon as they got back to Atlantis. She contained her curiosity to look what was in the box, knowing Evan would see the ripped tape and know that she took a peek.

_I have better things to do anyways, I need to go see Rodney._ she thought after dropping the box in her assigned quarters. With a resolved look she headed to the lab where she was sure Rodney was. _Surely he'll think this conversation is important enough to stop working._ She thought bitterly.

"Hey Rodney."

Silence.

"Rodney."

Still reading.

"RODNEY!" She said more forcibly startling him.

"Oh Jennifer, hi. Didn't know you were back already. How did your eum- thing go?" He said still distracted by whatever it was he was reading.

"My Board Certification? It went great actually, but you would know that had you decided to come down with me instead of staying here." she spit out.

"You know I would've, if we didn't need to pass by that damned command center. Every time I go to the SGC they have some sort of crisis I need to solve."

"Well I'm sure whatever crisis there was Sam could've dealt with it."

"Sam? As in Samantha Carter? Guess I could've come down actually, you know to see how she was and all." he said suddenly very attentive to what Jennifer was saying. _Oh great, that gets his attention! Honestly this man has a very unhealthy obsession with her. God I'm envious of whoever shot-gunned telling him she was married to General O'Neill no less._

Trying hard not to snort, Jennifer regained her composure and stared at Rodney before uttering the words every relationship dreaded. No longer second-guessing her decision this was one conversation they needed to have, and no time like the present.

"Rodney, we need to talk."

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**Thank you all for reading! xxx :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed and read the story. It really means a lot that people take the time to read a story you take a lot of time to write. So initially this was going to be short and sweet, but in fact it's probably going to go up to 4-5 chapters. Evan Lorne makes another appearance, I just really love his character.**

**So again thanks to Motherduk, Mari, hifield, and everlovin for your words of encouragement.**

**Enjoy y'all!**

**P.S. Still searching for a Beta reader :)**

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The personnel of Atlantis firmly believed that when things were going too smoothly, as they had been for the last few months, a disaster was bound to happen. However, what they had not expected was the disaster to arrive from Earth, from the Deadalus; they expected it to come with an off-world team.

"Major Lorne, welcome back. I take it the mission went without any problem, we'll have a debriefing in two hours." Woolsey was in quite a joyous mood, no impending doom looming over their head was something he never thought possible in the lost city since his arrival.

"Yes sir."

"Hey Lorne, no injuries this time!" Came the teasing voice of his commanding officer with Ronon by his side, coming down the stairs.

"No sir, not having the Doc with us does help our chances."

Before Sheppard had time to continue in their teasing banter a message rang out in the control room : "Deadalus is ready for transport, clear the way."

Before anyone had time to react, a beam of light appeared in the gate room. The first ones to be beamed down were a bunch of new scientists with their mouth wide open as they stared at the city, and a with a very grumpy looking Rodney McKay.

"Welcome back Rodney, how was the vacation? By the way we 're leaving in one hour for-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever save me the useless detail. Probably just going to be another big waste of my time, why socialize when I need to be saving the galaxy? Just a bunch of monkeys with-" the rest of the sentence inaudible as the scientist walked away to get ready. Before anyone had time to comment on his, even for him, strange behavior another flash of light appeared in the control room this time a young woman, not looking too happy herself, surrounded by fresh new recruits appeared.

"Hey Doc! How was the trip?" asked Lorne, silently hoping the answer was slightly better than McKay's.

"Fan-fucking-tastic." She answered shoving a small cardboard box in his arm before stalking away.

"This is Deadalus, we'll be heading back earth, we should be back in two months or so."

Silence.

"What the hell was that all about?"

* * *

Three weeks later, and yet no one had answers on what had happened on that day in the gate room. SGA-1 had more missions than usual, to which McKay kept complaining : "Already wasted 8 weeks on Earth and that stupid ship and now I have to waste my time chasing blood sucking vampires."

If anyone had noticed the scientist's mood, and everyone had, no one dared make a comment on it. Nor did anyone comment on the fact that Atlantis's CMO seemed to be avoiding any off-world mission, instead assigning another doctor to the missions so she could stay in the infirmary. Everyone seemed to agree that something must've happen on Earth for the two geniuses to be in such a mood, but figured that with a little time everything would be back to normal.

"She says that with her unbelievable bad luck it's better and safer for everyone if she stays in the infirmary at Atlantis." Answered the doctors when you asked them why it wasn't Dr. Keller on the mission.

However, that didn't convince Colonel John Sheppard who had noticed that the young doctor seemed to be working even more than usual; yet never on his team. If she saw their team walk in the infirmary un-announced she would duck in her office assigning Marie or another one of the nurse, that weren't afraid of Ronon, to his team. He also noticed her presence, or lack of, in the mess hall. Before her and Mckay's little trip back home, she had taking a habit of eating every one of her meals with them; however, now she never sat down and always grabbed her food to go.

Today was another fine example of the Colonel's theory that Dr. Keller was avoiding them. He was sitting at a table with Zelenka, Ronon, and Teyla when he saw her grab a sandwich, look in their direction, and hurry out of the mess hall instead of coming to sit down.

"I think I figured it out!" Lorne exclaimed as he pulled a chair to sit down with them, pulling the Colonel out of his observation. "Keller and Rodney broke up! That's why she's been avoiding all of us."

"Why would she avoid us because her and Rodney broke something?" Asked Teyla, clearly still not yet understanding all of Earth's jargon.

"No, breaking up; meaning they're not together anymore." he explained to the two aliens, because he knew Ronon did not understand the meaning of the expression either. "Anyways, I finally got around to checking my emails and had one from Sam. She told me that she had a talk with the Doc before the Deadalus left, Jen said something about making the wrong choice and not being super happy with Mckay. In the end, Sam says she told Jen to follow her heart and maybe have a talk with Rodney. From what we've seen in the last couple of weeks, my guess is the talk did go that well."

And suddenly everything made sense to the flyboy: "Ah crap, I better go talk to Rodney." He knew something had happened between the two of them, since they were both in a crappy mood, but figured it wasn't that bad. Maybe a little talk with Rodney would fix everything?

That was hopeful thinking.

Although John had confirmed with McKay that him and Keller weren't together anymore, and was able to lift his mood a little more; the doc was still clearly avoiding them. Every time he tried to asked Rodney about it, the scientist would grow quiet and excuse himself; the rest of the team had learned to avoid the subject altogether. The other scientists were grateful to John for having calmed McKay down, who had been driving them all insane, but otherwise no change.

As for Dr. Keller, Teyla had now also noticed something was wrong. Apart from the fact that she was still very clearly avoiding any off-world duty, and was avoiding their team in particular in the infirmary; the Athosian noted on how tired the young doctor looked.

"Whenever I go to the infirmary, whether it be the middle of the night or day, Doctor Keller is always present. I am starting to wonder if she is resting and eating properly." She voiced her concern to John and Ronon discreetly, before Rodney made his way to their table.

"Why not asked Cadman when the Deadalus gets here." Answered the specialist, who, up to now, hadn't said a word on the situation of the last few months. Teyla and John stared at him mouth wide open when they realized that it was actually a good idea, but decided to drop the subject as Rodney sat down to eat with them.

* * *

A week later, Laura Cadman was finally catching a break in the mess hall when she was interrupted : "Mind if we sit with you Cadman?"

She looked up to see Sheppard, Lorne, Teyla, and Ronon surround her table. "No, not at all. I was finished actually so I can leave you my place-"

"Sit down Cadman, and that's an order." said Sheppard before sitting down in front of her.

"Sir?"

"Nothing too serious Cadman, we just want to know what happened on the Deadalus." He stated taking the first bite.

"With McKay and Keller." added Lorne after seeing the look of utter confusion on the young marine's face.

"Oh. That."

"Yes, now out with it Laura." Pushed Evan.

A heavy sighed escaped the explosives' specialist: "Not much to tell really, even I don't know what happened. There was yelling from time to time, but it was always behind closed door so we couldn't hear anything; not that we didn't tried." She took a quick bite before sudden realization hit her face. "Wait, there was this one time in the cafeteria. About one week before we arrived in Atlantis Jen tried to go talk to Rodney while he was eating, at first they seemed to be talking civilly but then McKay suddenly got up and started yelling. Asked her why she kept pestering him when it was obvious she didn't care about him, and probably never had."

"That's it? Doesn't seem that bad..."

"You didn't let me finish. He didn't stop there, I mean you know how he can get. He starts rambling and just spills whatever it is he's thinking about-"

"Cadman!" Sheppard hollered, he was starting to get a little agitated.

"Right! So..yeah... McKay said Jennifer was probably already cheating on him with the caveman or Lorne or anything other guy ready to give her the time of day. She slapped him hard across the face and left. She locked herself in her lab for research and didn't come out for the remaining of the trip, she had her staff bring her food and refused to talk to anyone."

The table was speechless for a moment as they digested what Laura had just told them.

"Wow, I didn't think McKay go could that far. I mean Jennifer and me, really? That'd be like going on with my sister; it's just plain wrong." said Lorne with a disgusted look on his face.

"Who is the caveman?"

It was as Teyla uttered those words that the four members of the table suddenly turned their eyes to the now empty chair that everything clicked In matter of seconds they were all up on their feet and started searching for the Satedan before anything bad could happen : "Chuck, tell me where Ronon and Rodney are. NOW!"

* * *

It was pure luck and coincidence that McKay was alone in his lab when Ronon came bursting through, and truthfully maybe he didn't want an audience for what was going to happen. In a flash, and before the scientist could fully comprehend what was happening, Rodney was pinned to the wall with his feet dangling in the air.

"R-r-ronon, what the hell?" he gasped.

"You can insult me all you want, call me any name you want; but you can NEVER insult Jennifer. She's one hell of a woman and you know she would never-"

"YES I KNOW!" He half-yelled, still gasping for air as the warrior slowly released his grip until the scientist was sitting on the floor. "It was just a spur of the moment thing, you know how I can get sometimes when I get upset. Plus we had been stuck on that ship for 2 weeks and Cavanagh was there annoying me as usual with his stupidity and-"

"Go apologize. Now." he half growled extending his arm to lift the scientist off the floor.

"STOP!" yelled John as he entered the room and notice that Rodney was on the floor with Ronon towering in front of him. "What-whatever it is you are doing. I really don't need all the paperwork that you killing Rodney would bring me, plus you know if he's not there we'd have a replacement like Cavanagh or Lee."

Both men looked at the Colonel and the three other that seemed to be catching their breath.

"We were just talking. I've got some marines to train, I'll see you guys for supper." said Ronon before leaving the lab, followed closely by the scientist who mumbled something that sounded like : "Really paperwork? That's the reason to prevent the crazy alien..."

* * *

He doesn't bother to knock and instead walks straight into her office closing the door after him, that way she can't leave and he can finally apologize.

She looks up and can't "Rodney? I'm kind of busy right now maybe-"

"Well take a second off your time because it's not every day that the great Doctor Rodney McKay apologizes to someone."

"Apologize? Oh I have got to hear this." she said with a smirk, dropping her pen and leaning back in her chair.

"Seriously, you're going to make me say it? I thought I could get away with just that-"

"Rodney."

"Fine, I'm sorry. For everything that I might have said on the Deadalus. You're a great girl and didn't deserve any of that, and honestly if you want to be with R-"

"Ok that's enough Rodney." she interrupted, suddenly loosing the smirk that had adorned her face up until now. "Apology accepted, there is no need to worry I already knew that you didn't mean it. Now, I really need to get back to these reports." She said with a sad smile.

"Yes, of course. Well that's good, I'm happy that things can stop being so awkward. So yeah, I'll see you later." he said awkwardly before exiting the CMO's office, silently hoping that things will finally go back to normal.

As if it'd be that easy.


End file.
